Olympus TG-3 vs Samsung NX20

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus TG-3 and Samsung NX20, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Samsung. The image resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the NX20 (20MP) is very comparable but the TG-3 (1/2.3") and NX20 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The TG-3 was revealed 24 months after the NX20 making them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX20 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the TG-3 grades vs the NX20 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Tough TG-3 and Samsung NX20. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-3 Gallery and Samsung NX20 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-3 provides outer measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") along with a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) and the Samsung NX20 has dimensions of 122mm x 90mm x 40mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.6") with a weight of 341 grams (0.75 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-3 and Samsung NX20 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-3 vs the NX20.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-3 and NX20 is 90 and 83 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out specs. The image underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-3 and NX20.

All in all, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The TG-3 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung NX20 will provide extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The newer TG-3 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.